freysinger



Patented Get. 23;, i928.

.Umts-n stares MANUFACTURING COMTPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEVI YORK, A CORORATION YORK.

OF NEW BELT BUCKLE. Y

Application led December 28, 1926. Serial No 157,435.

This invention relates to a belt buckle which may be either` of the so-called trench type or one provided with a tongue which passes through'holes in the belt to secureit in position. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a buckle of either style having means by which it may be readily secured on one end of the belt, this means forming an integral part of the buckle and being arranged so that the attachment of the buckle to the belt is a simple operation with the attaching means also serving to center the end of the belt with reference to the buckle while it is being attached.

In belts heretofore used it has been customary to attach one end-of the belt to the buckle by passing its end around the center bar and then securing it to the remainder of' the Vbelt in'any convenient manner, as by means of a row of stitching, or the like. Where the belt has a tongue which 1s passed through openings in the belt to adjust the latter and hold it taut, the end of the belt to be attached to the buckle is formed with an opening through whichv the tongue may pass Vamount of labor and unless the operations are carried on with care, loss may result due to faulty stitching which makes-the belt unsuitable for the market. The object ofthe present invention is to provide al buckle having means by which it may be attached to one end of the belt' with great facility so that this operation involves only small laborcharges.y This new attaching 4means does not add materially to the cost of the buckle, and it further providesa guide or centering devicewhich insures the proper adjustment of the belt to the sbuckle. This attaching means is supported in place so as to be Wholly concealed from view when the buckle is in use and it is so mountedon the buckle that it requires no changes in those parts of the frame that are visible when the belt is in use. Accordingly, a buckle with the improved attaching means may be of any desired shape or form and may be used satisfactorily with belts of different thicknesses n and Widths.

In the preferred form of embodiment of 'the invention, the buckle includes a'frame denent-ral. opening anda-center bar Atending across the belt.

dividing this opening to provide apertures for the free end of the belt. A gripping member or ratchet bar is mounted on the rear face ofthe center bar and cooperates with the bar to provide means for gripping an end of the belt tightly. This ratchet bar carries pins which extend through ears struck from the center bar near the ends thereof and lying spaced inwardly from the edges of the frame. The ratchet bar is thus mountedin position wholly independently of the frame and its use requires no alterations in the frame construction. In addition, the ears which are spaced apart substantially the width of the belt, serve to guide the end of the latter during the attaching operation and this insures that the buckle will be properly attached to the belt by the Workman so that the belt is in saleable condition when it is completed.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which F ig. l is a face view of the buckle showing 1t attached to the belt and in use.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. y

Fig. Sis an enlarged face View showing the buckle attached to the belt.

Fig. 4 is a rear View corresponding to Fig. 3. y

Fig. 5 is a'sectional View on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a face view of a buckle having a tongue.

' Fig. 7 is a sectional View on the line 7%-7 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the clamping bar. Y i

Referring now to the drawings, one form of buckle of the present invention is illustrated at l0 in Fig. 1. This buckle is of the trench type, the free end of the belt being held in adjusted position with reference to the4 vbuckle by the friction of the belt against portions of the buckle. The buckle may be made of different metals and is preferably of sheet metal stamped or otherwise formed to the desired shape. v The buckle illustrated is of general rectangular shape having side bars 11 at opposite sides of the belt and end bars 12 eX- These bars have a substantial width in the type of buckle'illustrated but the buckle may have varying outlines or shapes as may be desired, and the shape of the frame will depend. eutline.

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The side and end bars 11 and 12 deiine a central opening 13 which is sub-divided bya center bar 'il to provide two smaller openings 15 and 16. At the outer edge of each smaller opening, the metal o the buckle is bent rearwardly to torni a liang'e l? and When the belt in use, the tree end et' the belt strap 18 is led behind one edge ot the buckle around one flange 17' forwardly thiA i opening 16,.over the center bar .e ly through opening l, the i g over the second flange l the opening 15. lilith this endet the belt is held again in 'rent 1y its en gagijeuient by the .flancos and center `ur and will be heli sul f purposes. v In order to attach the end 19st the `belt to the buckle there is used a ratchetbar 2() which is illustrated by ll t3. Ilhis bar has a flat portion 2l by which it may be manipulated and another portion 2&2 extending at an angle to the tiat portion, this extension haring serrations 23 in one et ge. To mount the ratchet bar in position, ears 2l are struck Vtrom .the center bar 111 at both ends thereort adjacent the points Where the ends t the bar merge with the side trame membm's. These ears extend rearwardly suhstan =y at right angles to the plane ot the center bar andare punched to receive pins 25, one at each end of the ratchet bar. The ratchet bar `is ot' the usual construction and it is so arranged that it may be swung by the handle portion 2.1 to a position in which the end 19 ot the `belt may be placed between the rear tace oi the center bar 14 and the ratchet bar; then the ratchet `bar is moved to the position illustrated in Fig. Where the teeth on the edge .of the ratchet bar bear against the end of the belt so that this end is held iirmly between the row of teeth and the rear `face ofthe cent-er bar.

lt will be seen that with the ratchet bar mounted in this manner, andv supported independently ot' the side bars of the frame., the

vropenings and 16 through the trame for the Ipassage ot the belt may be oit less Width than the buckle and the buckle .may have frame members with large visible surfaces Wholly enclosing the central opening. v At the same time,'the ratchet bar employed has a length not substantially greater than the Width of the belt and the supporting ears in Which the end ot the belt 'is held act as guides as ,the

edges of the belt to center yit With reference to `the buckle. The ratchet bar `thus yprovides a convenient means for securing the buckle tothe beltand in the new buckle this ratchet bar is concealed trom view. Preferably, the center bar is tormedwith au indented 'portion 2Gl along one edge so that the edge 2.7 of the ratchet bar may slightly project so that it may .be freely grasped for manipulation. However, the main part of the ratehetibar lies behind the center bar, and is hidden by .the

latter when the belt not in use, and when the belt is being Wormthe strap overlies the center bar and thus no parts or' the center bar or ratchet bar are visible.` y

The novelbuckle can be maderin either the trench form above` described or may have atongue to hold the belt in adjusted position.

This 4latter type is shown in Fig. 6 and here the center bar 14lias an ear Q4 struck troinjit at both ends to' provide a support ior the ratchet bar and also hassan opening 28 tormed midway oit its ,ends and near one side `tor holding a tongue 29. This tongue may be pieceof Wire witha loop 30 atone end passiugthrough the opening 28 with the tree end 3l ot ythe tongue overlying one end member 120i the trame. The ratchet lbar in this :type of buckle is again lsupported between `ears which serve as guiding -menns for the end of thebelt which is to-be attached tothe buckle during this attaching operation. The ratchet bar `has a gripping portion 22 cooperating with the `bar 14 `to grip the endofthe vbelt and an operating portion 21 which, when the ratchet bar .is in gripping gposition, .flies close to the rear face of the bar 1.4 atoneedge thereof, the operating portion overlying the openingin which the tongueis mounted and havinga recess 21 shown in.Figs. 7 and 8, to receive the `looped Aend 30v ofthe tongue. With this arrangement, the ratchet bar ,is Wholly concealed behind the frame bar 14 and although the frame bar may be made quite narrow,the ratchet bar does ,not interfere with the tree manipulation of the tongue. l

The new buckle `may be vmade in anygshape and size desired and since the ratchet bar is .mounted in place lquite independently-ot the :frame members, the use of the lratchet bar places no limit on the `outlines that the `frame .may have. The Vformation ot theea-rs which support the ratchet bar by striking these ears from the centerbar ldoes not weaken the buckle and by :this Amethodof forming a support for the ratchet bar, the ears are positioned so that `they support .the ratchet bar vand also simplify the attaching operation. The usel of .the ratchet bar mounted in'this Way on the buckle does not increase the cost -of the buckle to any vsubstantial kextent and further etects considerable savings in .the .iinalcost of the belt because .the attachment of the new buckle to the belt is a simiple operation, consuming little time and thus involving small labor charges per belt. Also the new attachment means :insures thatV each belt and buckle will be properly secured ltoinzgan opening subdivided by a bar, a tongue mounted on the said frame bar and adapted to extend across the opening, with one end overlying the frame at one side of the opening,l a pair of ears extending from the rear face oi' the Jfreine bai' and lying inwardly from the outei` edges of the traine, and a gripping bar mounted in the ears and cooperating with the trarne bar to grip the end o' the belt, this gripping bar having an operating portion extending toward onefedge of the trame bail when the gripping bar in eective position, the said portion overlying the point of attachment of the tongue to the frame bar but lying Within the outlines of the traine bar.

2. A belt buckle comprising a traine having a central opening subdivided by a bar,

a tongue mounted in an opening in the said frame bar centrally and adjacent one edge thereof, this tongue being adapted to extend across the opening' with one end overlying the frame at one side'of the opening, a pair oi" ears extending` from the rear 'face of the bar and lying inwardly from the outer edges of the traine7 and a gripping bar mounted in the ears and having a portion adapted to cooperate ivith the traine bai to grip the end oi' the belt and an operating` portion extending toward one edge of the traine bai' When -tlie grippingbar is in effect-ive position, this operating` portion having a slot Within which a portion ot the tongue is received.

ln testimony Whereoi aiiix iny signature.

JOHN is. FREYSINGE. 

